Roanoke Gas collaborates on a first-ever RNG project
In a pioneering project both for the Commonwealth of Virginia and Roanoke Gas, the natural gas utility has joined a cooperative agreement with the Western Virginia Water Authority to produce commercial-quality renewable natural gas from biogas produced at the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant.
A digester gas-conditioning system and interconnect facility at the water pollution control plant will be constructed as part of the project.
“As this is a local project, we are most excited by the real impact the project will have on reducing carbon emissions and providing a new, clean supply of natural gas to our customers in the Roanoke Valley region,” Paul Nester, president and CEO of Roanoke Gas Company, told American Gas.
The Western Virginia Water Authority is the local entity that provides water and wastewater service to the greater Roanoke area. The authority’s wastewater treatment plant is located within the Roanoke Gas service territory, and Roanoke Gas has a natural gas distribution line within the boundaries of the water treatment plant’s property, Nester said.
“Therefore, we will not have to transport the RNG via truck to our system, nor will we have to acquire property to interconnect the RNG facility to our distribution network,” he said. “Rather, interconnection will take place via a 1,500-foot gas main, all within the water treatment plant property.”
The joint venture came out of a long and cooperative relationship between Roanoke Gas and the Western Virginia Water Authority, which approached the utility for its natural gas expertise as the authority considered the project to rehabilitate wastewater treatment digesters. After much thoughtful discussion and collaboration, Roanoke Gas concluded it should own and operate the RNG facility, Nester said.
Any utility interested in exploring a similar initiative should first make sure of its benefits, Nester said.
“As with any project or investment in a regulated utility, it must pass the prudency test: Is the project in the best interest of the customer?” he said. “If the answer is yes, the advice becomes more practical—assemble a good project team, pick great partners and ensure as much collaboration as possible.”